Pubdate: Sun, 25 May 2008 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc. Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: John Bermingham DION SUPPORTS INSITE DURING LIBERAL LEADER'S VISIT TO VANCOUVER The leader of the federal party that first supported the Vancouver safe-injection site wants his opponents to keep it going. Liberal Opposition Leader Stephane Dion said the Tory government must follow the science, which, he said, clearly shows the Downtown Eastside Insite facility is saving lives. "The site must stay open," Dion said during his Vancouver visit Friday, flanked by his B.C. caucus members and Insite supporters. "It depends on the will of the prime minister. "I ask them to listen to science, not their ideology," he added. "The science is telling us that this facility is saving lives. It's as simple as that. It's a matter of life and death for many people." The Liberals granted permission to open the facility four years ago, when they were in power. But the Tories are now leaning toward ending Insite's federal drug-law exemption when it expires June 30. It would mean curtains for North America's first safe-injection site. Dion wants its exemption to be indefinite, and would even work with other Canadian cities who want to open an Insite of their own. "There is time for a blanket exemption to allow Insite projects to continue across the country, in cities that are interested in renewing it," said Vancouver Centre MP Dr. Hedy Fry. "We believe we should allow other cities to take the benefit of allowing other cities to doing similar projects." Health Minister Tony Clement said he hasn't yet made up his mind, and wants to fully look at the science, but Dion challenged Clement to name one peer-reviewed study that shows that Insite doesn't work. University of B.C. Dr. Thomas Kerr, the top researcher for Insite, said it has improved public order, reduced needle-sharing among addicts and gotten them treatment. "The science is in," he said. "This health facility works. It's saved lives that would have been lost to overdose." On Friday, Dion addressed Metro Vancouver directors in Burnaby, and promised them potentially billions of federal dollars to replace aging infrastructure with greener alternatives. Dion promised that the first $3 billion of any budget surplus would go to pay down the debt, and anything left over would go to Canada's $123-billion infrastructure deficit. Dion would like to invest in public transit, sewage and water systems and contaminated sites. Dion praised B.C. for leading the way on the carbon tax, and said the country will follow B.C.'s example by shifting tax away from income and corporate taxation toward fossil-fuel use. "I think it's a bold decision, and it shows B.C. is able to initiate great changes," he said. Dion also said he would try to find other sources of revenue for cities other than property taxes, which hurt middle-income earners and the working poor. "The property tax is the source of revenue for our big cities, at the rate of 80 or 90 per cent," he said. "It's not healthy for the country, with all the responsibilities that municipalities have." Dion yesterday attended a Liberal luncheon in Richmond. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek